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G. P. GANSTER. I TIME MEGHANISM FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING IL LUMINATING FLUIDS.

No. 289,826. Patented Dec. 11, 1883.

N PETERS. Hmnmuw hur. Waslnngian. uc.

Nrrnn STATES ArnNr .rrren.

GEORGE P. GANSTER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

TIME MECHANISM FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING ILLUMINATING-FLUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,826, dated December 11, 1853," Application filed January 2, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Gnonen P. GANSTER, of Reading, Berks county, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Lighting and Extinguishing or Raising and Lowering Illuminating-Flames, of which the following is a specification.

I employ clock mechanism wound by hand or by any other suitable means, with provisions for automatically raising and lowering, which I term lighting and extinguishing the gas at certain periods, as determined by the clock mechanism, and for varying the periods of lighting and extinguishing, according to the time of year, to correspond with the varying lengths-of the nights. 'I have in a patent to me dated March 12, 1878, No. 201, 237, set forth a considerable portion of the mechanism employed; but the present invention goes further. I employ a cluster of lights in each lamp, all subject to a single clock mechanism. My improved mechanism ignites all the burners at night-fall. It extinguishes all but one at some intermediate hour, as midnight, and it extinguishes the remaining one in the morning. I have also introduced sundry improvements in the details, which will be set forth further on.

- The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the, im-

vention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a general front elevation of the entire apparatus with the front of the casing removed and certain portions shown in sec tion. Fig. 2 is a corresponding view of the main case with the dialplate and hands removed. Fig. 3 is a corresponding view with still further parts removed. The upper portion, containing the valves for the gas, is shown in section in this figure. The remaining figures show details detached. Fig. 4 is a section showing the principal parts.- It is a section at right angles to that in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a corresponding section, showing some of the parts below. Fig. 5 is a section at right angles to that in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the burners. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 8 s in Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a vertical section through a portion. the pipe which gives the main supply for use, shut off and let on by the mechanism, and also the small pipe which supplies the lighter, and through which the gas is allowed to flow continuously under all conditions.

- Similar letters of reference indicate 'like parts in all the figures.

first part of the night both of the valves B and.

O are open. During the latter portion of the night the-valve B is shut, and the gas only flows past the valve 0 to the burner (0 In the morning the valve 0 is also closed, and no gas is admitted through the single burner a or the cluster of burners a but a small flame is maintained through a small pipe, a*, which connects with the pipe a, uncontrolled by any valve, and there is consequently a steady flame from the burner (i This should be a small flame, only sufficient to maintain itself during the day and stand ready to ignite the strong flames when they are let on' at night.

In my said patent of March, 1878, I have described two wheels, 1? and Q, turned with a uniform motion, making onecomplete revolution in twenty-four hours, each wheel provided on the face with a pin or projection, which, as the wheel turns, traverses around in contact with an adjustable face-cam having a notch adapted to allow the pin, and consequently the entire wheel, to move forward when it is turned into the position corresponding thereto. The lever which operates a valve is pressed by the force of a spring against the inner face of the wheel, and gives the wheel a tendency to move outward, so as to perform this movement promptly when the notch is presented. As the wheel continues slowly revolving, the bevel of the notch afterward slides the wheel facewise or axially back- It shows ward or inward to its original position. One lever thus operated worked at the right time to induce the closing movement of the valve, and soon after returned to its inert position,

leaving the valve shut, the other lever, op-

erated by the other wheel and face-cam moved at night-fall to induce the opening movement of the valve and then returned to its inert condition, leaving the valve open. The valve moved with sufficient friction through its stufling-box to retain the position in which it was left by the respective levers.

I use in the present invention a closely-corresponding set of mechanism but to properly move the two valves obviously requires additional mechanism.

I .employ three' wheels and face-cams, .the

wheelslall turning uniformly, each making onerevelution in twenty-four hours. j Two of the face-cams are harnessed'together, and

subjectto thesame .automatic adjustment as is set forth inniysaidprevious patent. This effects the motion for-opening both valves at night and for closing the valve 0 inthemorning. The face-cam which controls the intermediate shutting off of gasfrom aportion of the-burner is not thus automatically changed.

It-will Ordinarilynot require changing; .but .I previdefor changingit, if desiredas, for.

example, from twelve o clock to eleven orone.

Rand Q are the wheels corresponding to the similarly-desi gnated wheels inm y patent of March, v1878. The wheel 1 controlled by its face-cam V, effects the opening movement. ThewheelQ, controlled by its face-cam Ker fects the,closing movement of the last burner understood. The wheel II shouldbelthick,

so that thewheels I? anthQ mayvmake a considerable. axial movementin openin g and closing the valves, while-still remaining in ,gear. ThewheelI should also be thick, so thatthe third .twentyfour-hour wheel, J, may have a considerable axial movement independently of ,the axial movement of the wheel 1?, and .still Jooth remain reliably in gear. The levers .bywhich the motions of these wheels are communicated .to the respective valves is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. v The sternsof .the valves B and O are taken hold of by the horizontal armsof three-armedlevers 13 and 0, one, at least, of which turns looselyonthe axis 1), so that they may have a motion independent of each other. The wheel i P actuates a lever, ]?,-turning on afixed center, 12, and carrying at i-tsopposite end a cross-ba l so that azsingle movement of the lever -Pacts U on both the levers Y13 and O to open both the valvesB and O. This operation occurs on to close the valve 0. V in the morning, varying in this latitude from the approach of evening, varying in this latitude from about five ocloek to eight, accord ing to the season of the year.

The wheel J actuates a lever, J, turning on a fixed center, j, the other end of which lever acts on an arm of the lever Bto effect the closing motion of the valve 13 This movement occurs at any predetermined hour when the night has so far advanced that thereis less occasion for light than before. I will assume that it is at twelve midnight. The wheel Q actuates a lever, Q, turning on a fixed center, q, and acting on the lever G in the direction This movement occurs four to seven oclock.

The positions of the face-cams V and NV, controlling the wheels P and Q, are changed automatically as the season advances by reason of the levers T and U, link It, and yearwheel X, in thesame manner as set forth in the patent issued to me January 21, 1879, No. 211,505. I provide means for adjusting the cam relatively to its operating-lever with great nicety. This is effected by providing an arm, V, on

the cam V, which is received ina slot or cavity in the lever T considerably larger than the arm, so as to allow the arm V, and consequently thecam V, to be turned to a limited extent relatively to the lever T. The turning and adjusting are effected by screws c v' which are tapped, through the lever and press against the arm V on its two faces. I employ anad- -ditional pinching-screw, e, in. additionto the above means of adjusting. screw performs the same function in this levver as in the other lever, U, to hold the cam The pinchingvery rigidly to the lever when it is adjusted. The year-wheel X,which controls the levers T and U, receives its proper slow motion through a train of spurgearing. The large wheel X on the shaft 00 of the year-wheel -;engages with a pinion, Y. 011 the shaft of 'the latter is a large wheel, Y, which receives its motion from a pinion, Z. On the shaft ofthis latter is fixed a large wheel, Z,which engages with a pinion, H, on the shaft of the intermediate twentyiour-hour wheel. The motion is thus reliably communicated to the year-wheel with less friction than the previous worm motion, especially in lntensely-eold weather when oils .become stiffened, to which my clocks are especially subject by their exposure in street-lamps. This mechamsm is also more cheaply 'constructedthan the obliquely-toothed wheel or wheels and accurately-formed screw ,orscrews required for the worm motion.

The cam K for the midnight-wheel J ,is set by an independent lever, K, which is on-a sleeve, K extended out through the face of the cloclc. It allows the hour of clOSing ;the valve B to be changed at will within-wide limits without opening the clock or .in any manner disturbing the other mechanism. These valves are what are known as puppet-valves, ground or otherwise accurately fitted in their seats. They close tightly and open and close with less friction than slidevalves. This is especially important in very cold weather, to which my clocks are exposed in street-lamps, and any lubricating-oil will become hardened.

I control the pressure of the gas so as to deliver with approximate uniformity when the valves are open and the gas is burning, even if the pressure in the street-main shall vary considerably. This is effected by a valve, L, which partially obstructs the passage, and is subject to a just sufficiently rigid spring, the tension of which may be adjusted with great delicacy by a screw, Z. WVhen this valve is rightly set, an increased pressure of the gas tending to make a too strong flame at each of the several burners is resisted almost perfectly by the yielding of the spring L, and the consequent movement of the valve in the direction of the flow of the gas. This contracts the area of the passage for the gas, and induces an automatic equalization of the pressure at the several burners. It will be understood that on the occurrence of a reduced pressure of the gas the spring L moves the valve L in opposition to the motion of the gas, so as to present a larger orifice.

The twent -four-hour wheel H gets its motion from apinion, M. 011 the shaft of the latter is alarger wheel, M, which receives its motion from a pinion, M, on the shaft N of the minute-hand, the latter, being turned with a reliable motion from the main wheel controlled by a good escapement properly regulated, turns with the proper uniformity once in an hour, and through the gearing described turns the twenty-four-hour wheel H once in twenty-four hours. I turn the ordinary twelvehour sleeve and hand of the clock from this twenty-four hour wheel by direct gearing thereto without the necessity of the ordinary spiral mechanism therefor. The sleeve of the hour-hand is marked 0. The gear-wheel O thereon receives motion directly from the twenty-four-hour wheel H.

D is a thick tube,of brass or other good conducting metal, inclosing the small burner'a*, and adapted to perform the double function of shielding the small flame from currents of air which might otherwise extinguish it, and

in cold weather.

I claim as my invention- 1. The two puppet-valves B and C, with independent means of operating them automatically, in combination with the single supplypipe a, chamber a, and the two sets of burners a of, as herein specified.

2. The single lever P, with its cross-piece p, operated substantially as shown, in combination with the two levers J and Q, and two valves, B and C, so as to open both simultaneously, as herein specified.

3. In combination with the two sets of burners a? a and the two controlling-valves B and O therefor, the three twenty-four-hour wheels, with their respective adjustable facecams, as shown, with the gearwheel and connections for controlling thereby the action of two of the three, as and for the purposes herein specified.

4:. The constant small burner a*, connected to the pipe or below the valves, in combination with the heavy tube D, extending downward to the framing A, arranged to perform the double function of shielding the small flame and conducting its heat to the cloclcframing, as herein specified.

5. In a machine substantially as described, and in combination with the pipe a, the valve L, carried 011 the spring L, and the screw Z, for adjusting the force of said spring at will, as herein specified.

6. Theintermediatetwenty-fourhour wheel H, driven by direct gearing, as shown, in combination with the wheels P and Q and connected mechanism for opening and closing one or more valves, and with the sleeve 0, driving the twelve-hour wheel by gearing direct from the twenty-four-hour wheel, as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at New York city, this 29th day of December, 1882, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' GEORGE P. GANSTER. 

